The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-05-20
T'he Farm.
Cooperation Among Farmers.

SO-OpGIdIlOA AIQOhS,
We have presented this subject to
farmers 50 often that it may seem mo,
notonous to some who would rather let
the world wag as it will, than to rouse
themselves by sufficient effor', to enable
them to take e forward step in this di-
rection; yet every interest of the farmer
calls most loudly for this sacrifice Of
his ease. He is taxed without repre-
sentation, in fact. He is not consulted
in matters of government. He must
pay what Others ask him for what he
buys and take what they offe. for
what he has to sell. He complairs s, it
is true, of his situation between the
upper and neither millstones, but refus-
cs stubbornly te take the proper meas
ures to place him abreast with all other
callings, The Grange offered great
possibilities in this direction and was
eagerly siezed upon at its first inauger-
alton, but before giving it fair trial or
even becoming familiar with the ruda-
mentry rules which are prime necss
sity in all kinds of cooperative or So
cety work, thousands gave up the con.
test; some in pet like children be.
cause they couldn't have their own
way, or because the minimum of effort
failed to secure the maximum of bes.
sings.
Every succeeding year develops a
greater necessity for closer bond of
fellowship among farmers We might
name many motives for such drawing
more closely together, but such will be
apparent to every one who will take the
trouble to reflect.
One of the strongest organizations
among farmers to-day is the Grange and
its growth is steady tho not as rapid
as the order gave promise in the begin
ming. There is prosperous Grange
among the farmers about Elkton and
there used to be one in this neighbor-
hood with headquarters at Colora.
Why not revive this organization? A
little effort, we have no doubt, would
resuscitate this dormant Grange, which
might be managed so as to largely ben.
eft its members. This Colora Grange
was called "Advance Grange" The
Inaugural address of tn, Master deliv.
cred in January 1876 has come into our
possession from which we make the
following extract:
"Tbe declarations of principals of the
Order with which we are connected have
been published to the world, and have
commended themselves to the better
judgment of all intelligent citizens
Originatingin the mind of one man now
living, the idea of a national organiza.
tion of tillers Of the soil was slow to
disseminate itself among the farmers of
the land until their necessities in the
Western States OF the Unicn compelled
them to look about them to see what
could be done to better their condition.
A teeming soil had induced a rapid
emigration into lands far removed from
the centers of trade and manufactures,
and combination of causes mad raised
the price of grain SO that mans profits
were in exact proportion to the number
of bushels he could produce, and with
a virgin soil that needed no manure,
the temptation to increase acreage was
constantly before the settler Hence
they added field to field, and borrowed
money at high rates of interest to pur.
chase new lands when those they now
had were not paid for, trusting to the
march of improvement to enhance their
value and the raising of grain, and
grain exclusively to pay off interests.
The production of large quantities of so
bulky an article so far from market,
necessarily made large carrying trade.
The railroad became an imperative
necessity, and the new States, to pro-
mote rapid occupation of her distant
fields, granted special privileges to
railroads, and these again offered extra
inducements to settlers, and thus in
short time We had large sections of
country not only controlled by the rail-
roads, but absolutely dependent upon
them for market for all their products.
They being close corporations CONTROL.
eddy few individuals and handling
vast amount of money were enabled by
a union of interests, to either control
legislation for their own aggrandize
ment, or to fix their own rates of tariff to
suit their own objects in defiance of law
and justice.
A combination thus powerful, which
though working under charter priv.
ileges granted by the States, now refus
ed to be governed by State law, could
only be met by counter combination
that should be stronger than they. The
farmers found that they were paying
extortinate rates for freight, in all
places where there was no other outlet,
to the railroad companies; that the Of
fcers of these companies were rolling
up immense fortunes in few years,
while, with the decline in prices since
the close of the war, they were not re
ceiving enough for their crops to pay
the Cost of production. 1t was natural